Sometimes, as we develop our craft, we find we have a theme in our art. Sometimes we are inspired specifically by a certain event, a place, or even a person.
On occasion, all these things come together to inspire a particular work.
My painting Water is Life was inspired by current events at that time. There was a lot of conversation going on about water. As a society we were talking often both about our dependence on water and our responsibility to water. The idea of the life of water has been a repeating theme for me for many years. This particular piece actual had two iterations. The original painting developed out of a friendship with a fellow artist, a musician. He had the nickname of Little Buffalo and we shared the same passion for the water.
Listening to his music, I saw in my mind’s eye, the picture of small flying fish leaping out of the water, giving form to the life that teams in the water. They leapt and sparkled all around a buffalo. The buffalo carries dignity and wisdom, a symbol of the life of the land. The vision of it walking peacefully through the water spoke to me of the vibrant life and the balance that can be found in nature.
Every where in the natural world there is an energy offset by the calm, a violent struggle contrasted by the graceful growth of new life. This push and pull has been an enduring inspiration to all of my art.
